Hamid Karzai welcomes Britain's Afghan troop withdrawal

President Hamid Karzai has welcomed the announcement that Britain will pull thousands of troops out of Afghanistan next year, saying his country was ready to take over security responsibilities.

President Hamid KarzaiPhoto: AFP/GETTY

8:23AM GMT 20 Dec 2012

Prime Minister David Cameron on Wednesday said that he will withdraw almost half of the country's 9,000 troops from Afghanistan next year as Nato hands over to Afghan forces.

The announcement comes as Nato prepares for a full security handover at the end of 2014, despite fears that a civil war could follow, and amid a spike in "insider attacks" on foreign troops by Afghans in uniform.

Karzai said the decision was "well-timed" and insisted his war-scarred nation was ready to take charge of its own security.

"The president ... welcoming the announcement said: 'the Afghan national forces are ready to provide the security and defend their country'," a statement from Karzai's office said.